


Happiness is hard!

by fangirl2013



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M, Heartache, Hurt/Comfort, friends - Freeform, teenage romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 13:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3812443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl2013/pseuds/fangirl2013
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anne comforts a grieving Richard but ends up revealing a secret...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happiness is hard!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is alright.

Within moments of seeing Anne approach, Richard quickly wiped his face. Although, he knew she wouldn't judge him for crying, he still had no desire in showing any sign of weakness. He had known her far too long to do that. As she inched closer to him, getting closer to the kitchen door, he tried to paint a smile on his tired face. Anne, seeing Richard sitting obviously waiting for her, gave him a smile. It was slightly shocked but the smile was there, nonetheless.

"Hello, 'ichard. Were we supposed to be meeting up today?" She asked him, sleepily, yawning a little. Richard watched almost memorised as she raised a hand to cover her mouth. Her tiredness was clear but that didn't stop her from looking as lovely as normal. Even more so in Richard's eyes as his eyes raked over her appearance discreetly. 

Her familiar pyjama bottoms were short and Richard could feel himself almost blush as his gaze fell on them. He'd lost count how many times he'd seen her in them but somehow and for some reason, his mind registered just how silky her bare legs looked and just show short they were on her petite legs. In a vain attempt to keep thinking of her legs, he raised his eyes. As much as he wanted to keep looking, his love and respect for Anne stopped him from doing it. His blue eyes registered her vest top and despite his unhappiness, he felt himself smile. 

The cheekiness of 'Hello gorgeous' didn't escape him, especially, as it was boldly written across her top. It seemed to suit her as he knew just how cheeky she could be. Finally, as if he realised he had yet to speak, he started speaking. 

"Uh, no. I just thought we could hang out. If that's alright?" He told her, thinking of why he wanted to hang out with her. His conscience decided to niggle at him a little as he thought. It was hardly Anne's job to distract him for the anniversary of Edmund's death and Richard knew it. A painful knot formed in his stomach as he thought of his late brother and he quickly turned his gaze to his friend. 

Anne continued walking into the kitchen, as she listened to his words, before nodding to him. After giving him a warm smile, she turned to reach into one of the kitchen cupboards next to her. Her top rose slightly with the movement and Richard's eyes couldn't help but notice. Clearing his throat, he once again removed his gaze away from Anne. His thoughts were certainly a distraction but he also didn't want Anne to notice and feel uncomfortable. 

Moments later, Richard noticed that Anne had started singing as she made her breakfast. It was a soft and unfamiliar sound and he knew instantly she was in a good mood. The smile on her face only served to make him sure of it. He also wondered whether she'd forgotten he was there as he'd never once heard her sing before. Her shyness would always stop her.

As Anne sat down next to him, there was a light crimson blush on her cheeks but her eyes were bright and shinning. Her happiness seemed to almost radiate off her as if it made her look even more beautiful than she normally did. Richard's thoughts should have made him feel shocked but it was definitely not the first time he had thought of her as beautiful.

"What are we going to do today?" She asked him, in between bites of her cereal. 

Richard racked his brains trying to think of something they could do. In his plans for a distraction, they'd only focused on Anne and he hadn't thought of what they'd be doing. He couldn't help but curse himself silently. As if Anne could sense his uneasiness, she reached out and squeezed his hand softly.

"We can always go for a walk. That might be nice." She suggested, softly, a smile on her face. It was clear that she wanted to make him feel better and in a way, she did. The feeling of her small hand on his reminded him just how much he feels for her and it was a reminder he was thankful for. 

The smile on his face was small but for once, since Edmund's death, it was sincere. It was not forced or faked. Richard felt slightly guilty that he was smiling and his thoughts quickly turned to Edmund and his brothers. Was Edward coping? Or pretending he was like himself? Apart of him, deep down, felt no desire to think of Edward as he didn't want to start worrying about him too. His tears seemed to once again rise to the surface as they clouded his vision. 

Looking startled, Anne stopped eating, obviously noticing the tears in his eyes. Her grasp on his hand tightened slightly, without her realising it. 

"What's wrong? We can do something else!" Her voice raised slightly as her worry increased and Richard quickly shook his head. He didn't want to do something else, he just wanted to be with her. 

She waited patiently for him to give her an explanation but it seemed he didn't want to. Giving him a small reassuring smile, she showed him it was alright. Although, she definitely wanted to know about what was bothering him, she didn't want to push him into telling her. After all, he had never done that to her and she didn't want to repay his kindness with insensitivity. Instead, she was going to take his mind of what was upsetting him. 

"Just let me get ready and we can go for our walk." Her smile was bright on her face as she looked at him and Richard started smiling a little too. He watched as she rose from beside him and let go of his hand. 

Despite his gaze being firmly on her, he couldn't help but miss her touch. His hand had tingled under her touch and he wanted to feel it again. It couldn't have been more than ten minutes but it felt much longer. Finally, Anne came bounding down the stairs, looking happy as she smiled. She looked just as lovely in her jeans as she had done in her pyjamas and without realising, he blurted out his thoughts to her. 

"You look lovely." He murmured as he looked at her. 

It was not just embarrassment that flooded through her at his unexpected compliment but another feeling that confused her. It was a feeling she'd begun to feel with someone else for quite awhile and it hadn't been with Richard....

"Thanks. Shall we go? I can't be too late. I'm meeting someone." Her voice told him she was hesitant telling him as it was soft but Richard seemed to stop hearing after awhile. He was far too focused on wondering about who she was going to meet. He knew it was irrational to be so effected by her words but that didn't stop him reacting to them. He already felt envious of whoever she was meeting and as he watched her blush, he knew it was a guy. 

Was it someone he knew? A guy in class, maybe? His thoughts were making him feel worse but Anne seemed oblivious. To her, Richard seemed curious and as he then began to ask questions. 

"Who are you meeting, anyway?" Richard's voice sounded calm, despite the fact he felt anything but. His feelings were a mess but more than anything, he felt angry. Not at Anne but whoever the person was.

Smiling a little, she answered him. Richard felt even worse as he looked at her smile. After all, he wasn't the person causing her to smile. 

"Edward Lancaster. He said he wanted to get to know me better." Her blush intensified and it tortured Richard to wonder why it did.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment? :)


End file.
